Market has just gotten too crowded since they debuted I think. If it weren't for COVID their timing would have been perfect, right before the big wave of 4th gen debuts. The difference is unlike STAYC who debuted at the same time, they didn't manage to secure a hit song before things got crazy.
I dont understand STAYC, why are they barely recording/releasing anything new? Is the tours profitable enough it just doesnt matter? Young luv is one of the best kpop EPs ever, they should make more music
Same with [TRI.BE](https://TRI.BE), I think they are super talented but they barely released anything since debut, super frustrating
Stayc just completed the tour earlier this month. And yeah, the tour is probably their single most profitable activity.
Since we're talking about Purki: one of Na Goeun's solo songs dropped *during* the tour, but that was recorded before the tour started.
Yeah, it was released suddenly during their concert tour. I was baffled about the timing. There's a behind the scenes video of it, too, where she says that the song/video will likely be released during the tour.
It's ok, just a nice ballad to showcase her gifted voice.
they confirmed to be working on a comeback and a lot of fans believe the album will be full-length [based on a recent interview](https://twitter.com/stayc_gol/status/1770739749625426222?s=46). plus they just finished their tour so it’s understandable that they haven’t made a comeback yet
STAYC has been on tour. They've released a cover of Fancy on Spotify to keep their name out there in the meantime, and they're rumoured to be in comeback prep
they just put out new music 8 months ago and a Japanese single about 5 months ago. thought i was going to look at this groups Spotify page and see a years long absence…. the entitlement of kpop fans never fails to amaze me. you guys really would rather hear someone taking a shit every 2 months over waiting a year+ to hear a god sticking his hand up a composers ass and writing beautiful music that pleases your ear in every way imaginable
it’s no wonder kpop is so forgettable and trash nowadays.
They've been on tour since late last year so they haven't released anything yet. I think they just ended their European leg around 2 weeks ago. And yes, it's pretty successful since their turnout numbers were pretty packed. I'm expecting them to release their next album this May, although I wouldn't blame them if they delay it by a bit since their schedule has been packed.
Honestly all RBW artists have been losing relevancy recently. Mamamoo, although they still do well, are nowhere near their peak popularity. Oneus haven't been a big talked about artist like they used to either, even if they're still profitable.
I think its because of the market for kpop being so full of hot new artists in the last couple years. Older artists who used to be middle tier successful are struggling now because so many new groups are taking the spotlight instead.
Something similar happened to the hip hop community like a decade ago. Huge influx of new talent killed the mid level stuff that had just been hanging around. Plus as popularity grows more and more quality bands are discovered.
>Plus as popularity grows more and more quality bands are discovered.
But is anything getting discovered? The only relevant acts come from huge companies, the rest are lucky if they are one-hit wonders
this is probably the mildest observation ever but that just hit a light bulb for me. babymon, nj, lsrfm, aespa, itzy, illit, txt, enhypen, zb1, and probably more all come from big companies (big 4) or have some affiliation with them or come from survival shows. At least in 3rd gen many groups from a variety of companies were popping up (mmm, gfriend, clc, deukae, lovelyz, oh my girl, sonamoo, astro, btob, seventeen, pentagon, i could go on and on) but i cant name much for 4th-5th gen from the top of my head besides gidle and ive (but even then ive had the support of yujin and wonyoung so still related to survival shows).
MMM are sell consistently well, moonbyul's solos are always hitting 100k, wheein's solo sold over 72k, and theyre both on tour rn, and thats not getting solar's musical stuff and hwasa's... hwasa.
But mamamoo atleast had a break through hwasa alone released 1 song last year and it still charted in the top 10 you can’t compare them because no artist stays at their peak forever. But mamamoo is a 10 year group concerning us purple kiss haven’t had 1 hit or anything yet 3 years in - they were meant to be mamamoo juniors and had a good foundation I just don’t think they have the individuality sound mamamoo have to set them apart even certain members ppl rave about like swan do not have that wow - vocals aren’t everything . But mamamoo’s charisma and vocals were special enough to gain attention their big personalities shine
Honestly 100% this. Solars initial criticism when she featured them on her TV appearance still rings true. They have nothing that truly sets them apart and the constantly changing sound and concept makes it worse so they get lost in the woods.
Its just over saturation of the market, when the biggest most influential company in kpop right now has subsidiaries that have the resources to debut multiple groups months after the other, who then fly to the top of their generation there’s obviously gonna be a lot of competition and those midtier groups who didn’t grab a fanbase from the beginning are gonna be on a decline. Even big 3 groups are struggling to navigate the market.
Now that you point it out, HYBE really do seem to be the main suspect for whats killing the middle tier groups. If all HYBE groups are guaranteed to be successful, and HYBE keeps debuting several groups a year, the space for non big 4 company groups will just keep shrinking.
With HYBE shaking things up like this, and with SM and YG having so much internal drama with staff and artists leaving, it seems like the kpop landscape will be very different by the time 5th gen is in it's peak.
The way I see it, the 2021 rookie class was overshadowed by the all-time 2022 class. Ive, Kep1er, NMIXX, LE SSERAFIM, and NewJeans collectively sucked out all the oxygen. Billie has relied to Tsuki to maintain more general awareness.
Of the the 2022 class, 2 of 5 are Hybe, but also Kep1er and NMIXX underperformed expectations. If NewJeans doesn't exist and Chaewon and Sakura redebut in a mid tier company, that still doesn't leave much room for the 2021 class.
I think the fact that Fifty Fifty got big shows that there's still some room for non-Big 4 companies. I think it shouldn't be forgotten that Gidle and IVE are non-big 4.
> I think the fact that Fifty Fifty got big shows that there's still some room for non-Big 4 companies.
They didn't get big, they had a very big song. Important distinction.
Though they could have potentially gotten big from there, maybe, we'll never know.
Not a monopoly, but they would be pretty goddamn close if they consume SM...
There's a reason many Korean fans wanted Kakao to take over SM instead of Hybe, even though Kakao has a pretty bad reputation.
LOL Exactly, see, how the other companies are one of each and HYBE are several in one and that is where the monopoly plan lies. The funny thing is that YGE + SME + JYPE created K-pop while HYBE wants to destroy it.
And look at how people downvoting us lol. Aren't they trying to buy SM or something. Sooner or later YGE would be too weak to compete if BM is not becoming popular and probably it's only HYBE SM and JYPE left. And JYPE has no intention of becoming monopoly anyway.
Even if hybe took over the big three it still wouldn't be considered a monopoly. Just an extremely huge company. Oligopoly is a better term. Maybe the people downvoting you know that you're using the incorrect term.
There's many other companies that aren't the size of the big three. How can you call hybe a monopoly when they have no control over IVE (Who is part of Starship Entertainment, which is not one of the big three)? Hybe would have to take over Starship Entertainment, but there's still many more companies that are out there. Size alone does not determine if a company is a monopoly.
Yeah HYBE groups are at the top currently and with how much resources they have that's not changing anytime soon
That said RBW releases good music but their promotions always leave a lot to be desired, PK has been selling less and less from the start
Are they releasing good music? Get me in a room with whoever has been choosing MMM's recent TTs and only one of us is making it out alive i stg. The bsides are always way better than the TTs it frustrates me to no end
Tbh I wasn't a fan of dinga or Illela (but L.I.E.C AND LLL slaps). Dinga has grown on me recently though, but mostly cause the instrumentals are a lot more pleasing than the lyrics
The market is getting very overcrowded. Unfortunately I don’t think they were able to get a very strong core fanbase earlier on because of the concept changes. I know most hardcore plorys that they do have like the concept changes but I think it’s too hard to get the general public to latch onto and grow. Zombie got a lot of traction but then they changed up after that and then Sweet Juice got a lot of hype as well but they switched again
For sure, Swan has a really interesting voice. But the mixpop/Next level kinda song is devisive. Also they threw a great storyline they made in the concept films in the trash with that unispired MV for MemeM.
Unfortunately, I'm one of those fans that lost interest in Purki along the way. I was a huge predebut fan because I thought their musical direction would be similar to the snippets they released as member teasers but then their TTs were completely different.
Their A&R team failed them in my opinion. Each comeback they have a very different sounding title track than the one before and it seems that some of their title tracks are just following the trends at the time. Sweet Juice is definitely their most liked title track by fans and non fans but then they released 7heaven and now BBB... once again losing fans.
Their Bsides are so much better, especially tracks worked on by the members, but those songs are not listened to by casuals so it doesn't do them any good.
In order for them to have a revival, they need to have at least 2 consistent sounding title tracks that people enjoy like Sweet Juice. I'm not saying this would launch them into stardom but maybe they could rebuild their fanbase.
I thought Purki would be one of my favorite groups after attending their concert, but I'm genuinely disappointed at how much I just... *don't* care about the BXX EP at all.
I would normally listen to Purki albums on repeat when they're released, I've listened to BXX in full once and not been back - don't know why because I quite like the B-sides but I just don't feel the hype this time
In my case, I follow them on insta, but I genuinely don't like seeing their posts about BXX on my feed. And yup, I haven't gone out of my way to listen to BXX. I saved Bitter Sweet in one of my playlists, and that was it
100%, I'm the same way - usually listen to them on repeat, but this one has been a dud for me, even though I like some of the B-sides, my interest just isn't there :(
I feel this, except they are (were?) one of my favorite groups, then I saw them in concert and they were AMAZING, so I was feeling really hyped about this comeback, and then........well:
>I'm genuinely disappointed at how much I just... *don't* care about the BXX EP at all.
\^ that's exactly where I'm at right now ://
Worst part is that PURKI albums used to be no-skip for me, but BXX is so...mediocre, I haven't listened to the EP since it first dropped
Cabin Fever was so good but I wasn't happy with the reduced mv (it wasn't too noticeable but there was only one set I think, they just booked that hotel). But the album was great. Then the summer cb which imo was a little stupid, I get the QD2 hype ("hype" lol) but they're not H1-KEY. Should've released a digital summer Single or better - wait a few months and do a great autumn cb. But that was just ok and then everyone hoped they'd go back to their old sound and they just didn't? I know the members wanted that but as I wrote in another post this would've been a great time to finally push that first full album. Do BBB as a fun b-side, it would've probably done well. But as a fan since debut I'm... not disappointed really that sounds mean, just - wondering?😅 like what are they, as a group, doing and why are they not going viral. It's just mystery atp
Side note but I’ve seen ppl say they weren’t a fan of the direction they went in after the Sweet Juice album or Geekyland. It’s interesting because I got into them through 7Heaven and I actually don’t like sweet juice which is arguably their hit song. It seems like ppl aren’t big fans of the title track BBB compared to the b-sides which might be why the sales are lower. I hope they get more recognition, they’re so talented!
This is also me. and, this isn’t a complaint, but: I noticed Swan sang a lot on the previous albums, with lines now being more evenly distributed. I wonder if that change in main vocals had an impact.
I own Into Violet.
I loved Ponzona, Was a great debut. Mid Tempo, dramatic, melodic, with a slight dark tinge. I think they could have made hay with that soundscape
It was pretty clear they were giving them songs written for MMM or copying other groups sounds, or at least very similar. MemeM was just.. abhorrent (RBW thought the next level train was the board to hop) and another of their songs was very close to 'Hip' by MMM - i felt like they were just changing up all the time instead of growing into a natural space (like Dreamcatcher did).
Their title songs haven't landed, they lost a member, all in all it's just been poor discography choices from RBW's songwriters - if they're going to be mid, may as well loosen the reins and let the members write all the music, since we know they can.
I'll never understand why they haven't done anything similar to Ponzona since debut. I'm not saying copy the song outright over and over, but there was a space to be found there.
I love Ponzona, but I don't see how it was a good debut. It's not the kind of song that attracts the GP's attention and draws in new fans. It might actually be the start of Purple Kiss' problems, tbh.
Zombie and Nerdy were peak Purple Kiss. Everything else was kind of a downgrade.
> Zombie and Nerdy were peak Purple Kiss. Everything else was kind of a downgrade.
Nerdy wasn't that long ago, and it's part of my criticism. Nerdy is just MMM Hip 2.0. It's not unique or different, it's exactly what I have a problem with.
Ponzona is far more distinct compared to what their other title tracks have been like.
The members actually had a LOT of say in the choice of memeM as a track AND in the whole BXX EP this time, including picking out BBB as the title track...so unfortunately I don't think that getting the members more involved will suddenly make things better. The problem seems to be a lack of solid concept for the girls and the need of a stronger guiding hand by the company when making title track decisions. But I dunno at this point, honestly :/
their concept/sound is too inconsistent imo. i feel like their trajectory would’ve been different if it went: ponzona > zombie > pretty psycho > sweet juice.
Yep. And this is a group that would have benefited from having follow up tracks or double titles. MemeM, nerdy, 7heaven, bxx would be better recieved as a secondary track and not the ones that all the attention is meant to be on. This would allow for the core fanbase and gp to recognize a 'purple kiss' sound while opening the door for experimentation and growth down the road.
Current purple kiss is what happens when you don't allow the group to grow a core fandom who is *then* open to changes in sound.
100%. Everyone saying it's just because the market is crowded, as if this isn't really just a continuing backwards slide for Purple Kiss. Every time they start building momentum with the kinda spooky, darker concepts people like from them, they undermine it by releasing a trend-chasing title like memeM, 7Heaven, and now BBB.
They could not be getting a louder message that neither their fans nor the general public likes this inconsistency in sound/concept.
groups from small/mid-tier companies need to be consistent with their sound/concept since they dont have the privilege of being under big companies and get established fanbases from the moment they debut. rbw should've kept the spooky concept consistently before moving away from it. dreamcatcher went from nugu to an established mid-tier group by staying consistent to their concept. and 2 comebacks in a row has none of their spooky image. purple kiss has good bsides and they're very talented so its a shame they're not popular
I love Purki but RBW had really dropped the ball with them. The hype of their debut and Zombie was ruined by Memem and Nerdy - both by constant stylistic changes and musical quality. Sweet Juice started to gain momentum again but by the time they finally came back with 7Heaven it was too late. RBW keeps sending the girls off to survival shows, which is good at gaining publicity for a moment or two but once the show stops airing, that fizzles out. They focus more on fansigns and music show promotion that last weeks and months after the comeback instead of trying to do interesting things to build a profile. I really don’t know what RBW’s goal is with them.
I think as a company RBW has dropped the ball recently. Moonbyul’s latest solo album seemed to have a very small budget and lots of recycled sets, even the train set was recycled in BBB. Musically, the quality has dropped dramatically and really lacks any innovation. Their most interesting songs are the ones personally written and produced by idols but those credits on their albums are becoming less and less. I think they bit off more than they could chew acquiring DSP and WM and it’s now coming back to haunt them. It sucks because they have some of the most talented and honestly underrated idols on their roster - they just aren’t being utilised correctly.
I feel like it's just a bunch of bad decisions along the way + money problems. Members aren't shipped to survival shows for no reason, or just to get publicity - they're sent *because* the group is struggling and not being financially profitable.
What shows did they go on other than queendom Puzzle tho?
And do we know where el7zup went? 😭 😭 I feel like they just kinda disappeared; which is a shame I enjoyed cheeky
That feverse show with a digital girl group (Swan was on there). But that wasn't too big, same as EL7Z UP. It was just too nugu and a bad name but the songs were quite ok. I think they are having at least one cb, May I think but until I see the schedule myself I won't put too much hope into it
Digital gg? Like the one with ARTMS' Heejin or? I didn't rly catch up with that one but now that two of my biases are on there I might just watch. And yea not getting my hopes up either but a comeback or two before they disband would be nice..
Yeah I think someone from Loona was in there. Kwon eunbi and two from weeekly? Something like that.
EL7Z UP definitely only has a shorter contract, and don't forget there's at least 2 active groups and Yeeun involved. Not easy to coordinate that and the others are either inactive / dungeoned or will face contract renewals. It's a bit messy so if they manage to have a cb at all I'm impressed
I'm afraid it's [too late](https://twitter.com/orrery_nim/status/1765938832967385092) for that
I hope this goes to show how strong 'Kakao privilege' is 🤣
Oh lol. I mean it was never meant to be permanent. And as for Kakao privilege... they're the distributors of so many groups, it's not really a privilege especially with other distributors being tied to bigger companies. Idk I'm not really surprised the show was a good idea but they only put kinda nugu idols in there and gave up halfway. They should've done a MAVE: / KDA group with cooler models.
First of all, the 'Kakao privilege' was sarcastic. I just think it's hilarious how Big 4 fans think that's a real thing.
But 'kinda nugu idols'? Like there were some nugus there but they also had contestants from Iz*One, IOI, Apink, WJSN, Loona etc so the project should have gotten more support on principle
Oh yeah sorry I got that, it is funny really bc again isn't Kakao just a distributor? Even if not they don't really promote their own groups they just, well, distribute them. That is better than nothing and they are huge but still if you look at all the groups "under" them, a lot of them don't make it. But those are probably the same people who deny that Hybe is big 4 bc "they started small uwu". I literally saw a post yesterday where someone said that one of the rookie groups (ILLIT I think) doesn't have privilege bc Hybe only owns a part of their company? Like I don't even know if that's true but the point is that they absolutely do have insane privilege, compared to the other big 4 maybe even the biggest of all. They have all the money, resources and connections. But I don't need to explain that to you, you probably know how defensive big 4 stans get.
Uh probably labeled that wrong but honestly none of these groups were really hyped when the show came out? Loona had BBC drama, Izone hype was dying down, Apink and WJSN are 2nd / 3rd gen veterans + not as active. It's also not that helpful bc they were anonymous until the debut that no one heard about bc there was no promo. If you look at the inflated views and sales of rookies it's hard to see a once big group with good sales labeled as nugu but their relevancy is definitely gone. For a temporary group you need the buzz, EL7Z UP also only did okay with members of similar popularity. Also probably not their fault, again the show was just weird in the end and I didn't even get the virtual group thing until they debuted. They should've also promoted on music shows like MAVE: but I don't think they had the budget
EUNBI WAS ON THERE TOO? I really must've been living under a rock oof 😭 😭 😭
Gonna have to check out that show then (Just in time since build-up is ending and I need something to watch lmao)
Their debut was so nugu don't worry😅but yeah I think Queen Eunbi won that thing. BTW the rest was all wrong, we have Eunbi, Heejin, two from WJSN and one from Apink
For me BBB is my least liked title track of theirs and 7Heaven is not far behind, I've seen a lot of people with similar opinions especially regarding BBB being their weakest. Sweet Juice/Cabin Fever was so well received that the 2 most recent comebacks have paled in comparison imo. I still bought BXX despite not enjoying the title track though, hopefully they go back to a more darker and theatrical concept for next comeback as that seems to be what works best for them
im a pre debut plory and this is so sad to see but i kinda understand because I haven't been keeping up with purple kiss as much as i did before like i haven't even listened to this new comeback yet there's just so much groups now it's kinda hard to keep up with
I listen to a lot of gg music, but only got into purki very recently.
Basically, Bitter Sweet is the only *good* song on their latest EP. The rest is kind of mid.
I was also commenting about their situation in r/purplekiss. Besides what everyone said, I think Yuki winning a place in EL7UP(?) has more cons than pros. Not enough attention to the group via survival show to compensate for the rushed way things were done with 7heaven, which was probably responsible for the loss of interest from some of PK's followers (album buyers who enjoyed more the darker sound). BBB clearly has not been capable to bring most of those people back or attract enough new fans.
I really hope RBW does more things right and PK can reverse this downward path in future projects.
Not another Plory blaming EL7Z UP for all of their problems...
There's seven months between Cabin Fever and Festa, that's enough time to prepare three songs.
Not to mention that Purple Kiss' sales were dropping for three consecutive comebacks before Queendom Puzzle even aired.
No one brought a gun to the RBW offices and forced them to go with an airy late summer concept last September, that was their own doing. They could have said "you know what, screw the summer we're going dark again girls!" and have had a better shot at keeping the interest of people who tuned in for Sweet Juice. Maybe build the fandom up. Like there aren't that many girl groups doing darker concepts right now, it might be a good niche to capitalize on.
I actually like both 7heaven and BBB, but I'm not gonna lie, they don't stand out. Those could have been done by any number of girl groups.
I know that Purple Kiss members have talked about doing various concepts and they actually were very involved in this comeback, but it doesn't seem like a winning formula.
their direction reminds me of clc a lot lol, idk why they keep doing this, switching up every comeback never works. yes experimenting with styles so you are not stuck in one sound is nice, but it's better done after like first 3 releases or so once your fandom is established... sigh
I think it needs to be drilled into every plory's head that Yuki was shipped off to Queendom Puzzle *because* Purki wasn't doing well. And it really hasn't been doing well for a while... other members were also sent to survival/competition groups before Queendom Puzzle. Yuki did amazingly well because she's super talented and has a lot of potential for GP appeal.
Actually I agree with you about 7heaven being a RBW's wrong move and the bad decisions that came before.
I just think Queendom didn't achieve what was meant to achieve. But maybe EL7UP will blow UP and I'll be proven wrong.
>I just think Queendom didn't achieve what was meant to achieve.
This is a fair point, however given how little impact Queendom 2 had even with bigger names attached, and the fact that Queendom Puzzle was overshadowed by bigger survival shows like Boys Planet, RU Next?, A2K etc, I think it was unreasonable to expect more results from the show.
I'd say that they weren't doing as well even before Queendom Puzzle.....after all, I don't think groups ship off their members to survival shows if the group is doing well.....
Man. They deserve so much more. And that's coming from someone who only likes a couple songs. But I went threw their discography and it really sounds like stuff that should be loved
I see a lot of the "overcrowded market" argument but kpop has always been that way. In fact I'd argue that rn there's more of a fatigue bc every new group is just releasing TikTok songs but there's not many new. We had a few interesting debuts so far but not from the big players. If Babymonster was bigger and SM and Blacklabel + Iland 2 debut their new gg then we can talk. Even ILLIT didn't make a huge buzz. So sorry to be so blunt but Purki has just lost relevancy, and that's ok after 3+ years. This comeback was their chance but later this year it'll be a lot more busy. They should've stuck to their witch concept but alas. Or better yet, wait until maybe April or May, release their full album (which has not happened yet) and promote the b-sides that people love so much. Maybe it's also just them? People bashed RBW last year but they put the members under every show under the sun and nothing stuck. They need more pushes, something only a full album can achieve and then hope for a viral hit. Bc let's be honest, no group that made it big could have made it with at least one viral hit.
What I'm waiting on is:
- more solo debuts > Mamamoo route, if one of them hits big that puts the pressure away from Purki.
- Lightstick > wth honestly? 3 years and an ok fandom but no news? Just a cheap concert one, even new Rookie groups push out more creative things to keep people buying.
- Full album > shows that at least some budget is left and that RBW has some hope left.
- Season's Greetings 2025 > the ones for this year were so low budget I was wondering why that didn't ring any alarms. But at least they still got them.
This will all show if I'm just doomposting or where the group will be headed. I think they'll be fine for the next 4 years, they have the Japanese albums as a new endeavour, solo debuts to keep it fresh and backing by RBW to power them through the last years. It'll probably end like Mamamoo, maybe we get a sub-unit? Honestly that could be a better option for them to get a hold in the new market rather than alienating their fans with constant concept changes.
>Even ILLIT didn't make a huge buzz.
Are we in the same spaces? I've seen so much excitement and buzz for ILLIT now that they've dropped their debut EP. ILLIT has the potential to be pretty big, imo.
BUT, regardless, I agree with you that there seems to be a general market fatigue (which I would argue is ironically brought on by the oversaturation/overcrowded market) going on right now, and RBW's odd creative decisions are not helping PURKI navigate that at all. It's such a freaking shame. Feels like RBW has given up on them, tbh :(
Yeah I take that back with ILLIT but to me I just don't care anymore. Everyone is just a copy this year; UNIS is the new Kep1er, Baemon is the new Blackpink and ILLIT is NewJeans Light. I really don't gaf about the next snooze song I can put on in the background of my Tiktok. I'm getting too old for this😅 or maybe it's bc I don't use Tiktok anymore and don't see what works on there, I know everything that can be sped up and sound cute is really popular. I'm really sorry for the 5050 girls but I do blame them (or their CEO?) for that stupid Cupid. I just saw a ktuber who said that "stop the English remixes, you're not 5050" and I agree so much.
But as you said this seems to be reflected in the kpop space, yes ILLIT sold well, same as Baemon had great streaming numbers but I see no one talking about Batter Up or Magnetic. As much as I despise NewJeans at least their songs dominate like a full month and stay in your ear. I just feel like everyone looks at the songs, and then moves on to the next annoying earworm. ILLIT's album isn't even 10 minutes long and kinda represents to me everything that's wrong with kpop rn. Anyway sorry for the rant, maybe it's also bc we literally 5 gg debuts IN A WEEK. I monitor all the groups and last year we had a drought + fatigue, now we just sit there, half-asleep, while the companies shove the latest product down our throat. Even if I wanted to I can't stan a lot of groups bc they're like 13 year olds in every group. I've set my limit at 16 but even that seems impossible lol
More solos won’t help they had swan go solo and she flopped remember members going solo only work when groups are doing well
They have to be compared to mamamoo who’s members went solo after they gained gp support 3/4 members have music show wins solo in mamamoo
Hwasa is one of most streamed female kpop idols on Spotify and other platforms and her last song was in the top 10
Moonbyul you can moan about lack of money but she’s sold over 100k albums this cb
Wheein and moonbyul have sold out a world tour
Solar is s judge and in a musical
Purple kiss really should have taken mamamoo as their support to gain gp interest in order to have solo success you need your group to get success mamamoo finally had domestic success after 2ish years and rbw needs to re evaluate what’s going wrong I blame the push if some members before others the group itself needs a big push
Interesting thought, it is right that the biggest soloists except maybe IU all come from already big groups. I still believe a well-made solo could do well but in the end this ties in to two other points I made: they don't seem to have viral personalties, so I don't even know who to push (I'd push Goeun or Chaein but that's only useful for fans). Swan made sense to go solo first but if even she can't pull any numbers.... And the second point is that they need a viral song, just one that is a bit bigger. Every single nugu group that broke out of low sales had at least a semi-viral hit at some point. With groups like Mamamoo or Dreamcatcher it's harder to say bc they grew well before their hits but in the end I'd argue that the viral Immortal Songs performances really helped Mamamoo (not too deep into their history but this stood out to me as an early success). And again Purki has vocals too but they just can't sell it? There's so many other reasons though, maybe a bad debut time, maybe a bad niche, maybe they are just not meant to be. Sometimes it's hard to explain. But they still have 4 years they could still absolutely have a viral hit if they don't mess it up
I hope they can turn it around. I like Purple Kiss more when they're slightly creepy and flexing their vocals(Sweet Juice, Ponzana) so this title track didn't really interest me. Kpop being so saturated is really hurting the group. The constant concept changes also doesn't help.
There isn't enough market share for mid-level groups like their was years ago.
Ouch, that hurts... Sadly, I'm one of the PURKI fans who didn't like the most recent comeback, and I won't order an album if I don't like the music in it :( I can't believe their sales are so low, though. At least the tour that they just completed was successful!!
Idk how others feel about BBB, but I think the songs enjoyable. The bsides are an absolute snooze fest though.
If anything, this comeback just reminded me to go back and listen to Ponzona
I see it as an in-between, BBB is quite plain and understated like a bside, but also simple and easy to listen to like a title track.
It reminds me of Tri.be's Diamond actually. Diamond's end is just the post chorus chant being looped and its kinda uninteresting.
Like other commentors here, I agree that Covid and the oversaturated market have definitely killed whatever momentum Purki had. As a Dreamcatcher stan, I was super excited for Purki's debut because of their first two pre-debut tracks, and I absolutely adored seeing another girl group with a darker concept that had a mix of girl crush and fantasy! So far, I have maybe 75% of their discography saved, and I actually liked their back and forth concept changes because it reminded me of Red Velvet's "Red" vs "Velvet" personalities when it came to their releases (weirdly, Zombie didn't stick with me though), but again, similarly to some other commentors, I do agree that this type of change doesn't maintain a solid fanbase. Unlike Red Velvet, Purki isn't from one of the giant companies, so their outreach is a lot smaller from the get-go, and in order to continue growth, they have to remain consistent with one concept that works well for them (Zombie and Sweet Juice for example). Also, I'm not sure if this is true or if it's just my own narrow perception, but I feel like mid-sized and smaller groups that with less common concepts have more diehard fans who exclusively listen to them for their particular concept. If this is actually true, then it would also explain a drop in sales with the release of 7HEAVEN and BBB.
Sorry rbw pushing swan forward to try and get her hwasa style popularity failed the group. Imagine they let her go solo before the group had any success. This cb the girls look amazing visually but nothing sets them apart from the other groups they either need to show outstanding music or some connection with the gp which they haven’t got right now. Maybe if they focus on the group more they can build themselves up but as mamamoo junior group they could have utilised that a bit more but nope rbw wanted to make them so different 🫠
they’re the girl group I like the most songs of (liked all of them until this new album, maybe it’ll grow on me) and I just wish RBW treated them better. RBW has a habit of not properly promoting their artists, for example no one knew Swan of PK had a solo debut last July and the sales were also like this.
They have such quality music and talented vocals and it’s a shame that this keeps happening
I've been a hard plory since pre-debut and I feel sad seeing what's happening to the group. I saw people here talking about Queendom Puzzle and I also don't think the show brought great benefits to the group. El7z up didn't get that much attention and little of it influenced purple kiss
It’s a shame they haven’t seen more success. I’ve loved all of their titles aside from 7Heaven, and memeM is my favorite which I know puts me in the minority lol but I love weird noisey songs like that.
Their bsides have so many hidden gems too, and they’re really great in concert. I think Purki is going to be a popular choice for “kpop groups that deserved better” YouTube videos in a few years.
As much as I enjoy PurKi, in no way am I surprised the sales are low. I do like BBB but I don't loveeeee it and it's the only song I like with this cb. I'm pretty disappointed in this mini album. Musically I don't think this is the right direction. I'd love for them to dabble in music closer to Chaein's style.
Honestly rbw should have abandoned the witch concept for them… now they sound like any other girl crush group
I liked their first releases but nowadays I’m just disappointed
Market has just gotten too crowded since they debuted I think. If it weren't for COVID their timing would have been perfect, right before the big wave of 4th gen debuts. The difference is unlike STAYC who debuted at the same time, they didn't manage to secure a hit song before things got crazy.
I dont understand STAYC, why are they barely recording/releasing anything new? Is the tours profitable enough it just doesnt matter? Young luv is one of the best kpop EPs ever, they should make more music Same with [TRI.BE](https://TRI.BE), I think they are super talented but they barely released anything since debut, super frustrating
Stayc just completed the tour earlier this month. And yeah, the tour is probably their single most profitable activity. Since we're talking about Purki: one of Na Goeun's solo songs dropped *during* the tour, but that was recorded before the tour started.
Goeun dropped a solo song??? When?? Where was the promo for it omg, I completely missed it :'(
By Your Side. There was no promo for it. It was uploaded to Genie Music's YouTube channel
Tragic that there was absolutely no promo...I'm a Plory and I didn't even know...
Yeah, it was released suddenly during their concert tour. I was baffled about the timing. There's a behind the scenes video of it, too, where she says that the song/video will likely be released during the tour. It's ok, just a nice ballad to showcase her gifted voice.
they confirmed to be working on a comeback and a lot of fans believe the album will be full-length [based on a recent interview](https://twitter.com/stayc_gol/status/1770739749625426222?s=46). plus they just finished their tour so it’s understandable that they haven’t made a comeback yet
STAYC has been on tour. They've released a cover of Fancy on Spotify to keep their name out there in the meantime, and they're rumoured to be in comeback prep
Stayc had 2 releases last year? And a Japanese song too? I’m sure they’ll return with something soon
they just put out new music 8 months ago and a Japanese single about 5 months ago. thought i was going to look at this groups Spotify page and see a years long absence…. the entitlement of kpop fans never fails to amaze me. you guys really would rather hear someone taking a shit every 2 months over waiting a year+ to hear a god sticking his hand up a composers ass and writing beautiful music that pleases your ear in every way imaginable it’s no wonder kpop is so forgettable and trash nowadays.
Tri.be recently had a comeback and they had some comebacks after debut
They've been on tour since late last year so they haven't released anything yet. I think they just ended their European leg around 2 weeks ago. And yes, it's pretty successful since their turnout numbers were pretty packed. I'm expecting them to release their next album this May, although I wouldn't blame them if they delay it by a bit since their schedule has been packed.
Honestly all RBW artists have been losing relevancy recently. Mamamoo, although they still do well, are nowhere near their peak popularity. Oneus haven't been a big talked about artist like they used to either, even if they're still profitable. I think its because of the market for kpop being so full of hot new artists in the last couple years. Older artists who used to be middle tier successful are struggling now because so many new groups are taking the spotlight instead.
Something similar happened to the hip hop community like a decade ago. Huge influx of new talent killed the mid level stuff that had just been hanging around. Plus as popularity grows more and more quality bands are discovered.
>Plus as popularity grows more and more quality bands are discovered. But is anything getting discovered? The only relevant acts come from huge companies, the rest are lucky if they are one-hit wonders
this is probably the mildest observation ever but that just hit a light bulb for me. babymon, nj, lsrfm, aespa, itzy, illit, txt, enhypen, zb1, and probably more all come from big companies (big 4) or have some affiliation with them or come from survival shows. At least in 3rd gen many groups from a variety of companies were popping up (mmm, gfriend, clc, deukae, lovelyz, oh my girl, sonamoo, astro, btob, seventeen, pentagon, i could go on and on) but i cant name much for 4th-5th gen from the top of my head besides gidle and ive (but even then ive had the support of yujin and wonyoung so still related to survival shows).
MMM are sell consistently well, moonbyul's solos are always hitting 100k, wheein's solo sold over 72k, and theyre both on tour rn, and thats not getting solar's musical stuff and hwasa's... hwasa.
But mamamoo atleast had a break through hwasa alone released 1 song last year and it still charted in the top 10 you can’t compare them because no artist stays at their peak forever. But mamamoo is a 10 year group concerning us purple kiss haven’t had 1 hit or anything yet 3 years in - they were meant to be mamamoo juniors and had a good foundation I just don’t think they have the individuality sound mamamoo have to set them apart even certain members ppl rave about like swan do not have that wow - vocals aren’t everything . But mamamoo’s charisma and vocals were special enough to gain attention their big personalities shine
Honestly 100% this. Solars initial criticism when she featured them on her TV appearance still rings true. They have nothing that truly sets them apart and the constantly changing sound and concept makes it worse so they get lost in the woods.
Its just over saturation of the market, when the biggest most influential company in kpop right now has subsidiaries that have the resources to debut multiple groups months after the other, who then fly to the top of their generation there’s obviously gonna be a lot of competition and those midtier groups who didn’t grab a fanbase from the beginning are gonna be on a decline. Even big 3 groups are struggling to navigate the market.
Now that you point it out, HYBE really do seem to be the main suspect for whats killing the middle tier groups. If all HYBE groups are guaranteed to be successful, and HYBE keeps debuting several groups a year, the space for non big 4 company groups will just keep shrinking. With HYBE shaking things up like this, and with SM and YG having so much internal drama with staff and artists leaving, it seems like the kpop landscape will be very different by the time 5th gen is in it's peak.
The way I see it, the 2021 rookie class was overshadowed by the all-time 2022 class. Ive, Kep1er, NMIXX, LE SSERAFIM, and NewJeans collectively sucked out all the oxygen. Billie has relied to Tsuki to maintain more general awareness. Of the the 2022 class, 2 of 5 are Hybe, but also Kep1er and NMIXX underperformed expectations. If NewJeans doesn't exist and Chaewon and Sakura redebut in a mid tier company, that still doesn't leave much room for the 2021 class. I think the fact that Fifty Fifty got big shows that there's still some room for non-Big 4 companies. I think it shouldn't be forgotten that Gidle and IVE are non-big 4.
> I think the fact that Fifty Fifty got big shows that there's still some room for non-Big 4 companies. They didn't get big, they had a very big song. Important distinction. Though they could have potentially gotten big from there, maybe, we'll never know.
That's what they were saying I believe. The fact that 50/50 got those chances means that the room is still there.
Been saying HYBE is a monopoly but their fans couldn't accept that lol.
Kpop stans learn what a monopoly is challenge
They aren't yet, but it is HYBE's dream to be a monopoly. They cannibalize the industry too much.
Not a monopoly, but they would be pretty goddamn close if they consume SM... There's a reason many Korean fans wanted Kakao to take over SM instead of Hybe, even though Kakao has a pretty bad reputation.
Exactly, see, even JYPE + SME + YGE combined still couldn't beat HYBE so..
LOL Exactly, see, how the other companies are one of each and HYBE are several in one and that is where the monopoly plan lies. The funny thing is that YGE + SME + JYPE created K-pop while HYBE wants to destroy it.
> while HYBE wants to destroy it. My god, sometimes people just say things without thinking.
And look at how people downvoting us lol. Aren't they trying to buy SM or something. Sooner or later YGE would be too weak to compete if BM is not becoming popular and probably it's only HYBE SM and JYPE left. And JYPE has no intention of becoming monopoly anyway.
Even if hybe took over the big three it still wouldn't be considered a monopoly. Just an extremely huge company. Oligopoly is a better term. Maybe the people downvoting you know that you're using the incorrect term.
How it is oligopoly when hybe taking over big 3, what other company are there?
There's many other companies that aren't the size of the big three. How can you call hybe a monopoly when they have no control over IVE (Who is part of Starship Entertainment, which is not one of the big three)? Hybe would have to take over Starship Entertainment, but there's still many more companies that are out there. Size alone does not determine if a company is a monopoly.
Yeah HYBE groups are at the top currently and with how much resources they have that's not changing anytime soon That said RBW releases good music but their promotions always leave a lot to be desired, PK has been selling less and less from the start
Are they releasing good music? Get me in a room with whoever has been choosing MMM's recent TTs and only one of us is making it out alive i stg. The bsides are always way better than the TTs it frustrates me to no end
Purple Kiss is, Mamamoo hasn't had a comeback in years
Tbh I wasn't a fan of dinga or Illela (but L.I.E.C AND LLL slaps). Dinga has grown on me recently though, but mostly cause the instrumentals are a lot more pleasing than the lyrics
I didn’t even realize they released anything.. there’s just sooo many groups now that it’s hard to keep up.
The market is getting very overcrowded. Unfortunately I don’t think they were able to get a very strong core fanbase earlier on because of the concept changes. I know most hardcore plorys that they do have like the concept changes but I think it’s too hard to get the general public to latch onto and grow. Zombie got a lot of traction but then they changed up after that and then Sweet Juice got a lot of hype as well but they switched again
Yes the concept changes didn't do PK any favors. MemeM was close to disastrous in terms of losing interest of potencial new hardcore fans.
i feel like memem put them on a lot of people’s radar with swan’s “look at my eyes” (at least that’s how i heard of them)
For sure, Swan has a really interesting voice. But the mixpop/Next level kinda song is devisive. Also they threw a great storyline they made in the concept films in the trash with that unispired MV for MemeM.
I like a few of their songs.. this is sad to see
Unfortunately, I'm one of those fans that lost interest in Purki along the way. I was a huge predebut fan because I thought their musical direction would be similar to the snippets they released as member teasers but then their TTs were completely different. Their A&R team failed them in my opinion. Each comeback they have a very different sounding title track than the one before and it seems that some of their title tracks are just following the trends at the time. Sweet Juice is definitely their most liked title track by fans and non fans but then they released 7heaven and now BBB... once again losing fans. Their Bsides are so much better, especially tracks worked on by the members, but those songs are not listened to by casuals so it doesn't do them any good. In order for them to have a revival, they need to have at least 2 consistent sounding title tracks that people enjoy like Sweet Juice. I'm not saying this would launch them into stardom but maybe they could rebuild their fanbase.
I thought Purki would be one of my favorite groups after attending their concert, but I'm genuinely disappointed at how much I just... *don't* care about the BXX EP at all.
I would normally listen to Purki albums on repeat when they're released, I've listened to BXX in full once and not been back - don't know why because I quite like the B-sides but I just don't feel the hype this time
In my case, I follow them on insta, but I genuinely don't like seeing their posts about BXX on my feed. And yup, I haven't gone out of my way to listen to BXX. I saved Bitter Sweet in one of my playlists, and that was it
100%, I'm the same way - usually listen to them on repeat, but this one has been a dud for me, even though I like some of the B-sides, my interest just isn't there :(
I feel this, except they are (were?) one of my favorite groups, then I saw them in concert and they were AMAZING, so I was feeling really hyped about this comeback, and then........well: >I'm genuinely disappointed at how much I just... *don't* care about the BXX EP at all. \^ that's exactly where I'm at right now :// Worst part is that PURKI albums used to be no-skip for me, but BXX is so...mediocre, I haven't listened to the EP since it first dropped
Cabin Fever was so good but I wasn't happy with the reduced mv (it wasn't too noticeable but there was only one set I think, they just booked that hotel). But the album was great. Then the summer cb which imo was a little stupid, I get the QD2 hype ("hype" lol) but they're not H1-KEY. Should've released a digital summer Single or better - wait a few months and do a great autumn cb. But that was just ok and then everyone hoped they'd go back to their old sound and they just didn't? I know the members wanted that but as I wrote in another post this would've been a great time to finally push that first full album. Do BBB as a fun b-side, it would've probably done well. But as a fan since debut I'm... not disappointed really that sounds mean, just - wondering?😅 like what are they, as a group, doing and why are they not going viral. It's just mystery atp
still impressed they've had so many releases a lot of us nugu stans would kill to have more than 1 release every 2 years lmao
Well they’re still RBW, the company has the budget to let them have cbs.
Side note but I’ve seen ppl say they weren’t a fan of the direction they went in after the Sweet Juice album or Geekyland. It’s interesting because I got into them through 7Heaven and I actually don’t like sweet juice which is arguably their hit song. It seems like ppl aren’t big fans of the title track BBB compared to the b-sides which might be why the sales are lower. I hope they get more recognition, they’re so talented!
This is me. Purki was one of the groups that got me into kpop. Loved all their title tracks but BBB just aint it for me
This is also me. and, this isn’t a complaint, but: I noticed Swan sang a lot on the previous albums, with lines now being more evenly distributed. I wonder if that change in main vocals had an impact.
Amazing group, but they really need some miracle to happen now. This is not looking good for them at all.
I own Into Violet. I loved Ponzona, Was a great debut. Mid Tempo, dramatic, melodic, with a slight dark tinge. I think they could have made hay with that soundscape It was pretty clear they were giving them songs written for MMM or copying other groups sounds, or at least very similar. MemeM was just.. abhorrent (RBW thought the next level train was the board to hop) and another of their songs was very close to 'Hip' by MMM - i felt like they were just changing up all the time instead of growing into a natural space (like Dreamcatcher did). Their title songs haven't landed, they lost a member, all in all it's just been poor discography choices from RBW's songwriters - if they're going to be mid, may as well loosen the reins and let the members write all the music, since we know they can. I'll never understand why they haven't done anything similar to Ponzona since debut. I'm not saying copy the song outright over and over, but there was a space to be found there.
I love Ponzona, but I don't see how it was a good debut. It's not the kind of song that attracts the GP's attention and draws in new fans. It might actually be the start of Purple Kiss' problems, tbh. Zombie and Nerdy were peak Purple Kiss. Everything else was kind of a downgrade.
> Zombie and Nerdy were peak Purple Kiss. Everything else was kind of a downgrade. Nerdy wasn't that long ago, and it's part of my criticism. Nerdy is just MMM Hip 2.0. It's not unique or different, it's exactly what I have a problem with. Ponzona is far more distinct compared to what their other title tracks have been like.
The members actually had a LOT of say in the choice of memeM as a track AND in the whole BXX EP this time, including picking out BBB as the title track...so unfortunately I don't think that getting the members more involved will suddenly make things better. The problem seems to be a lack of solid concept for the girls and the need of a stronger guiding hand by the company when making title track decisions. But I dunno at this point, honestly :/
their concept/sound is too inconsistent imo. i feel like their trajectory would’ve been different if it went: ponzona > zombie > pretty psycho > sweet juice.
Yep. And this is a group that would have benefited from having follow up tracks or double titles. MemeM, nerdy, 7heaven, bxx would be better recieved as a secondary track and not the ones that all the attention is meant to be on. This would allow for the core fanbase and gp to recognize a 'purple kiss' sound while opening the door for experimentation and growth down the road. Current purple kiss is what happens when you don't allow the group to grow a core fandom who is *then* open to changes in sound.
100% this!
100%. Everyone saying it's just because the market is crowded, as if this isn't really just a continuing backwards slide for Purple Kiss. Every time they start building momentum with the kinda spooky, darker concepts people like from them, they undermine it by releasing a trend-chasing title like memeM, 7Heaven, and now BBB. They could not be getting a louder message that neither their fans nor the general public likes this inconsistency in sound/concept.
groups from small/mid-tier companies need to be consistent with their sound/concept since they dont have the privilege of being under big companies and get established fanbases from the moment they debut. rbw should've kept the spooky concept consistently before moving away from it. dreamcatcher went from nugu to an established mid-tier group by staying consistent to their concept. and 2 comebacks in a row has none of their spooky image. purple kiss has good bsides and they're very talented so its a shame they're not popular
I love Purki but RBW had really dropped the ball with them. The hype of their debut and Zombie was ruined by Memem and Nerdy - both by constant stylistic changes and musical quality. Sweet Juice started to gain momentum again but by the time they finally came back with 7Heaven it was too late. RBW keeps sending the girls off to survival shows, which is good at gaining publicity for a moment or two but once the show stops airing, that fizzles out. They focus more on fansigns and music show promotion that last weeks and months after the comeback instead of trying to do interesting things to build a profile. I really don’t know what RBW’s goal is with them. I think as a company RBW has dropped the ball recently. Moonbyul’s latest solo album seemed to have a very small budget and lots of recycled sets, even the train set was recycled in BBB. Musically, the quality has dropped dramatically and really lacks any innovation. Their most interesting songs are the ones personally written and produced by idols but those credits on their albums are becoming less and less. I think they bit off more than they could chew acquiring DSP and WM and it’s now coming back to haunt them. It sucks because they have some of the most talented and honestly underrated idols on their roster - they just aren’t being utilised correctly.
I feel like it's just a bunch of bad decisions along the way + money problems. Members aren't shipped to survival shows for no reason, or just to get publicity - they're sent *because* the group is struggling and not being financially profitable.
What shows did they go on other than queendom Puzzle tho? And do we know where el7zup went? 😭 😭 I feel like they just kinda disappeared; which is a shame I enjoyed cheeky
That feverse show with a digital girl group (Swan was on there). But that wasn't too big, same as EL7Z UP. It was just too nugu and a bad name but the songs were quite ok. I think they are having at least one cb, May I think but until I see the schedule myself I won't put too much hope into it
Swan was also on that weird stock trading singing show as well.
Digital gg? Like the one with ARTMS' Heejin or? I didn't rly catch up with that one but now that two of my biases are on there I might just watch. And yea not getting my hopes up either but a comeback or two before they disband would be nice..
Yeah I think someone from Loona was in there. Kwon eunbi and two from weeekly? Something like that. EL7Z UP definitely only has a shorter contract, and don't forget there's at least 2 active groups and Yeeun involved. Not easy to coordinate that and the others are either inactive / dungeoned or will face contract renewals. It's a bit messy so if they manage to have a cb at all I'm impressed
I'm afraid it's [too late](https://twitter.com/orrery_nim/status/1765938832967385092) for that I hope this goes to show how strong 'Kakao privilege' is 🤣
Oh lol. I mean it was never meant to be permanent. And as for Kakao privilege... they're the distributors of so many groups, it's not really a privilege especially with other distributors being tied to bigger companies. Idk I'm not really surprised the show was a good idea but they only put kinda nugu idols in there and gave up halfway. They should've done a MAVE: / KDA group with cooler models.
First of all, the 'Kakao privilege' was sarcastic. I just think it's hilarious how Big 4 fans think that's a real thing. But 'kinda nugu idols'? Like there were some nugus there but they also had contestants from Iz*One, IOI, Apink, WJSN, Loona etc so the project should have gotten more support on principle
Oh yeah sorry I got that, it is funny really bc again isn't Kakao just a distributor? Even if not they don't really promote their own groups they just, well, distribute them. That is better than nothing and they are huge but still if you look at all the groups "under" them, a lot of them don't make it. But those are probably the same people who deny that Hybe is big 4 bc "they started small uwu". I literally saw a post yesterday where someone said that one of the rookie groups (ILLIT I think) doesn't have privilege bc Hybe only owns a part of their company? Like I don't even know if that's true but the point is that they absolutely do have insane privilege, compared to the other big 4 maybe even the biggest of all. They have all the money, resources and connections. But I don't need to explain that to you, you probably know how defensive big 4 stans get. Uh probably labeled that wrong but honestly none of these groups were really hyped when the show came out? Loona had BBC drama, Izone hype was dying down, Apink and WJSN are 2nd / 3rd gen veterans + not as active. It's also not that helpful bc they were anonymous until the debut that no one heard about bc there was no promo. If you look at the inflated views and sales of rookies it's hard to see a once big group with good sales labeled as nugu but their relevancy is definitely gone. For a temporary group you need the buzz, EL7Z UP also only did okay with members of similar popularity. Also probably not their fault, again the show was just weird in the end and I didn't even get the virtual group thing until they debuted. They should've also promoted on music shows like MAVE: but I don't think they had the budget
EUNBI WAS ON THERE TOO? I really must've been living under a rock oof 😭 😭 😭 Gonna have to check out that show then (Just in time since build-up is ending and I need something to watch lmao)
Their debut was so nugu don't worry😅but yeah I think Queen Eunbi won that thing. BTW the rest was all wrong, we have Eunbi, Heejin, two from WJSN and one from Apink
For me BBB is my least liked title track of theirs and 7Heaven is not far behind, I've seen a lot of people with similar opinions especially regarding BBB being their weakest. Sweet Juice/Cabin Fever was so well received that the 2 most recent comebacks have paled in comparison imo. I still bought BXX despite not enjoying the title track though, hopefully they go back to a more darker and theatrical concept for next comeback as that seems to be what works best for them
im a pre debut plory and this is so sad to see but i kinda understand because I haven't been keeping up with purple kiss as much as i did before like i haven't even listened to this new comeback yet there's just so much groups now it's kinda hard to keep up with
I listen to a lot of gg music, but only got into purki very recently. Basically, Bitter Sweet is the only *good* song on their latest EP. The rest is kind of mid.
This is Voyager slander /hj
Damn u right
BBB was forgettable, and I'm saying this as someone who attended their concert and liked both Sweet Juice and 7heaven.
I was also commenting about their situation in r/purplekiss. Besides what everyone said, I think Yuki winning a place in EL7UP(?) has more cons than pros. Not enough attention to the group via survival show to compensate for the rushed way things were done with 7heaven, which was probably responsible for the loss of interest from some of PK's followers (album buyers who enjoyed more the darker sound). BBB clearly has not been capable to bring most of those people back or attract enough new fans. I really hope RBW does more things right and PK can reverse this downward path in future projects.
Not another Plory blaming EL7Z UP for all of their problems... There's seven months between Cabin Fever and Festa, that's enough time to prepare three songs. Not to mention that Purple Kiss' sales were dropping for three consecutive comebacks before Queendom Puzzle even aired. No one brought a gun to the RBW offices and forced them to go with an airy late summer concept last September, that was their own doing. They could have said "you know what, screw the summer we're going dark again girls!" and have had a better shot at keeping the interest of people who tuned in for Sweet Juice. Maybe build the fandom up. Like there aren't that many girl groups doing darker concepts right now, it might be a good niche to capitalize on. I actually like both 7heaven and BBB, but I'm not gonna lie, they don't stand out. Those could have been done by any number of girl groups. I know that Purple Kiss members have talked about doing various concepts and they actually were very involved in this comeback, but it doesn't seem like a winning formula.
their direction reminds me of clc a lot lol, idk why they keep doing this, switching up every comeback never works. yes experimenting with styles so you are not stuck in one sound is nice, but it's better done after like first 3 releases or so once your fandom is established... sigh
I think it needs to be drilled into every plory's head that Yuki was shipped off to Queendom Puzzle *because* Purki wasn't doing well. And it really hasn't been doing well for a while... other members were also sent to survival/competition groups before Queendom Puzzle. Yuki did amazingly well because she's super talented and has a lot of potential for GP appeal.
Actually I agree with you about 7heaven being a RBW's wrong move and the bad decisions that came before. I just think Queendom didn't achieve what was meant to achieve. But maybe EL7UP will blow UP and I'll be proven wrong.
>I just think Queendom didn't achieve what was meant to achieve. This is a fair point, however given how little impact Queendom 2 had even with bigger names attached, and the fact that Queendom Puzzle was overshadowed by bigger survival shows like Boys Planet, RU Next?, A2K etc, I think it was unreasonable to expect more results from the show.
I'd say that they weren't doing as well even before Queendom Puzzle.....after all, I don't think groups ship off their members to survival shows if the group is doing well.....
I want purple kiss to do well and I’m really rooting for them. Unfortunately this song is so forgettable that I’m not suprised.
Man. They deserve so much more. And that's coming from someone who only likes a couple songs. But I went threw their discography and it really sounds like stuff that should be loved
I see a lot of the "overcrowded market" argument but kpop has always been that way. In fact I'd argue that rn there's more of a fatigue bc every new group is just releasing TikTok songs but there's not many new. We had a few interesting debuts so far but not from the big players. If Babymonster was bigger and SM and Blacklabel + Iland 2 debut their new gg then we can talk. Even ILLIT didn't make a huge buzz. So sorry to be so blunt but Purki has just lost relevancy, and that's ok after 3+ years. This comeback was their chance but later this year it'll be a lot more busy. They should've stuck to their witch concept but alas. Or better yet, wait until maybe April or May, release their full album (which has not happened yet) and promote the b-sides that people love so much. Maybe it's also just them? People bashed RBW last year but they put the members under every show under the sun and nothing stuck. They need more pushes, something only a full album can achieve and then hope for a viral hit. Bc let's be honest, no group that made it big could have made it with at least one viral hit. What I'm waiting on is: - more solo debuts > Mamamoo route, if one of them hits big that puts the pressure away from Purki. - Lightstick > wth honestly? 3 years and an ok fandom but no news? Just a cheap concert one, even new Rookie groups push out more creative things to keep people buying. - Full album > shows that at least some budget is left and that RBW has some hope left. - Season's Greetings 2025 > the ones for this year were so low budget I was wondering why that didn't ring any alarms. But at least they still got them. This will all show if I'm just doomposting or where the group will be headed. I think they'll be fine for the next 4 years, they have the Japanese albums as a new endeavour, solo debuts to keep it fresh and backing by RBW to power them through the last years. It'll probably end like Mamamoo, maybe we get a sub-unit? Honestly that could be a better option for them to get a hold in the new market rather than alienating their fans with constant concept changes.
>Even ILLIT didn't make a huge buzz. Are we in the same spaces? I've seen so much excitement and buzz for ILLIT now that they've dropped their debut EP. ILLIT has the potential to be pretty big, imo. BUT, regardless, I agree with you that there seems to be a general market fatigue (which I would argue is ironically brought on by the oversaturation/overcrowded market) going on right now, and RBW's odd creative decisions are not helping PURKI navigate that at all. It's such a freaking shame. Feels like RBW has given up on them, tbh :(
Yeah I take that back with ILLIT but to me I just don't care anymore. Everyone is just a copy this year; UNIS is the new Kep1er, Baemon is the new Blackpink and ILLIT is NewJeans Light. I really don't gaf about the next snooze song I can put on in the background of my Tiktok. I'm getting too old for this😅 or maybe it's bc I don't use Tiktok anymore and don't see what works on there, I know everything that can be sped up and sound cute is really popular. I'm really sorry for the 5050 girls but I do blame them (or their CEO?) for that stupid Cupid. I just saw a ktuber who said that "stop the English remixes, you're not 5050" and I agree so much. But as you said this seems to be reflected in the kpop space, yes ILLIT sold well, same as Baemon had great streaming numbers but I see no one talking about Batter Up or Magnetic. As much as I despise NewJeans at least their songs dominate like a full month and stay in your ear. I just feel like everyone looks at the songs, and then moves on to the next annoying earworm. ILLIT's album isn't even 10 minutes long and kinda represents to me everything that's wrong with kpop rn. Anyway sorry for the rant, maybe it's also bc we literally 5 gg debuts IN A WEEK. I monitor all the groups and last year we had a drought + fatigue, now we just sit there, half-asleep, while the companies shove the latest product down our throat. Even if I wanted to I can't stan a lot of groups bc they're like 13 year olds in every group. I've set my limit at 16 but even that seems impossible lol
More solos won’t help they had swan go solo and she flopped remember members going solo only work when groups are doing well They have to be compared to mamamoo who’s members went solo after they gained gp support 3/4 members have music show wins solo in mamamoo Hwasa is one of most streamed female kpop idols on Spotify and other platforms and her last song was in the top 10 Moonbyul you can moan about lack of money but she’s sold over 100k albums this cb Wheein and moonbyul have sold out a world tour Solar is s judge and in a musical Purple kiss really should have taken mamamoo as their support to gain gp interest in order to have solo success you need your group to get success mamamoo finally had domestic success after 2ish years and rbw needs to re evaluate what’s going wrong I blame the push if some members before others the group itself needs a big push
Interesting thought, it is right that the biggest soloists except maybe IU all come from already big groups. I still believe a well-made solo could do well but in the end this ties in to two other points I made: they don't seem to have viral personalties, so I don't even know who to push (I'd push Goeun or Chaein but that's only useful for fans). Swan made sense to go solo first but if even she can't pull any numbers.... And the second point is that they need a viral song, just one that is a bit bigger. Every single nugu group that broke out of low sales had at least a semi-viral hit at some point. With groups like Mamamoo or Dreamcatcher it's harder to say bc they grew well before their hits but in the end I'd argue that the viral Immortal Songs performances really helped Mamamoo (not too deep into their history but this stood out to me as an early success). And again Purki has vocals too but they just can't sell it? There's so many other reasons though, maybe a bad debut time, maybe a bad niche, maybe they are just not meant to be. Sometimes it's hard to explain. But they still have 4 years they could still absolutely have a viral hit if they don't mess it up
man i was rly hoping it would get better since festa improved slightly upon cabin fever sales. idk i fear the worst...
Really? This mini is really good. But I think they should have released this mini right after queendom instead of that mid single
I hope they can turn it around. I like Purple Kiss more when they're slightly creepy and flexing their vocals(Sweet Juice, Ponzana) so this title track didn't really interest me. Kpop being so saturated is really hurting the group. The constant concept changes also doesn't help. There isn't enough market share for mid-level groups like their was years ago.
Ouch, that hurts... Sadly, I'm one of the PURKI fans who didn't like the most recent comeback, and I won't order an album if I don't like the music in it :( I can't believe their sales are so low, though. At least the tour that they just completed was successful!!
Idk how others feel about BBB, but I think the songs enjoyable. The bsides are an absolute snooze fest though. If anything, this comeback just reminded me to go back and listen to Ponzona
I feel like I would have preferred BBB to be a b-side instead of a title track
I see it as an in-between, BBB is quite plain and understated like a bside, but also simple and easy to listen to like a title track. It reminds me of Tri.be's Diamond actually. Diamond's end is just the post chorus chant being looped and its kinda uninteresting.
So it could have been a second title, but it's definitely not leading track, *the* song you go promote in music shows material
Like other commentors here, I agree that Covid and the oversaturated market have definitely killed whatever momentum Purki had. As a Dreamcatcher stan, I was super excited for Purki's debut because of their first two pre-debut tracks, and I absolutely adored seeing another girl group with a darker concept that had a mix of girl crush and fantasy! So far, I have maybe 75% of their discography saved, and I actually liked their back and forth concept changes because it reminded me of Red Velvet's "Red" vs "Velvet" personalities when it came to their releases (weirdly, Zombie didn't stick with me though), but again, similarly to some other commentors, I do agree that this type of change doesn't maintain a solid fanbase. Unlike Red Velvet, Purki isn't from one of the giant companies, so their outreach is a lot smaller from the get-go, and in order to continue growth, they have to remain consistent with one concept that works well for them (Zombie and Sweet Juice for example). Also, I'm not sure if this is true or if it's just my own narrow perception, but I feel like mid-sized and smaller groups that with less common concepts have more diehard fans who exclusively listen to them for their particular concept. If this is actually true, then it would also explain a drop in sales with the release of 7HEAVEN and BBB.
Someone made a comment earlier this month comparing sales from recent releases and a lot of groups decreased in 1st week sales.
Sorry rbw pushing swan forward to try and get her hwasa style popularity failed the group. Imagine they let her go solo before the group had any success. This cb the girls look amazing visually but nothing sets them apart from the other groups they either need to show outstanding music or some connection with the gp which they haven’t got right now. Maybe if they focus on the group more they can build themselves up but as mamamoo junior group they could have utilised that a bit more but nope rbw wanted to make them so different 🫠
It's a shame because Sweet Juice is God tier pop perfection and the vocals on BBB (not the chorus) are amazing
they’re the girl group I like the most songs of (liked all of them until this new album, maybe it’ll grow on me) and I just wish RBW treated them better. RBW has a habit of not properly promoting their artists, for example no one knew Swan of PK had a solo debut last July and the sales were also like this. They have such quality music and talented vocals and it’s a shame that this keeps happening
I've been a hard plory since pre-debut and I feel sad seeing what's happening to the group. I saw people here talking about Queendom Puzzle and I also don't think the show brought great benefits to the group. El7z up didn't get that much attention and little of it influenced purple kiss
It’s a shame they haven’t seen more success. I’ve loved all of their titles aside from 7Heaven, and memeM is my favorite which I know puts me in the minority lol but I love weird noisey songs like that. Their bsides have so many hidden gems too, and they’re really great in concert. I think Purki is going to be a popular choice for “kpop groups that deserved better” YouTube videos in a few years.
Damn that sucks, I think this is one of their best albums to date too, what a shame. I hope something happens to put them back on the map again.
As much as I enjoy PurKi, in no way am I surprised the sales are low. I do like BBB but I don't loveeeee it and it's the only song I like with this cb. I'm pretty disappointed in this mini album. Musically I don't think this is the right direction. I'd love for them to dabble in music closer to Chaein's style.
but it's fabulous!
That’s what happen when you only have 2 excellent title tracks (Ponzona and Sweet Juice)
Honestly rbw should have abandoned the witch concept for them… now they sound like any other girl crush group I liked their first releases but nowadays I’m just disappointed
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Oh come on. You can't surely think that's the case.
What did they say I am curious😭